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Message from the Chair

Welcome to the Department of Sociology! We are a thriving department offering a diversity of programs including a BA degree in Sociology a BS degree in Social Sciences, five different minors, a Master’s degree in Applied Sociology and a Doctoral degree in Sociology. Our faculty are nationally and internationally known for their research in areas such as crime and deviance, domestic violence, race and ethnicity, homelessness, gender, health, aging, social psychology, religion, and environmental sociology. Locally many faculty also partner with agencies in the Central Florida area to conduct applied research benefiting the community.

Our faculty members are active researchers publishing scholarly books as well as articles in many of the leading journals in our fields. Many of our faculty are also successful in obtaining external funding for their research. Faculty research projects have been funded by the National Science Foundation, the National Institute of Justice, the National Institute on Aging, the US Department of Agriculture, the National Wildlife Federation, and the National Institute of Alcohol and Alcoholism among others.

Although almost 60,000 students are enrolled at UCF we take great pride in the fact that our faculty are accessible to students. In fact, one of our strengths is the number of faculty-student research collaborations. Our academic programs are designed to provide many opportunities to work closely with faculty and faculty often conduct research and publish with both undergraduate and graduate students.

In addition to our strengths in research, Sociology faculty and graduate students also excel in the classroom. Faculty have received teaching awards such as the College of Sciences Excellence in Graduate and Undergraduate Teaching Awards, and the UCF award for Faculty Excellence in Mentoring Doctoral Students. Student awards include the College of Sciences Award for Excellence by a Graduate Student Teaching Assistant, the College of Sciences and UCF Award for Excellence in Graduate Student Teaching, and the Sage Innovations and Professional Development Award.

Students who graduate from our program are also positioned well for employment opportunities. Our undergraduates are employed by a diverse group of employers including the Make a Wish Foundation, the Orange County Sheriff’s Office, Harbor House of Central Florida and Westat among others. Master’s graduates have gone on to work at employers such as Seminole State College, Research Triangle Institute, Valencia College, and Trial Consulting Services, LLC. Several have also started their own small business or pursued careers as lawyers. Doctoral alumni have pursued employment in tenure track appointments at institutions such as Loyola University, Texas Christian University, University of North Florida and Indiana University-Purdue University Fort Wayne and in applied positions at the Bureau of Justice Statistics, and Avatar International.

On our web site, you will find detailed information about our undergraduate and graduate program requirements; biographical information about our faculty, students, and staff; and a description of the various projects and research interests in which our members are involved. We invite you to take a closer look and see the many opportunities the UCF Sociology Department can offer.

Elizabeth Mustaine, Ph.D.
Chair, UCF Sociology

Did You Know?

Michelle Obama (nee Robinson), former First Lady of the United States, graduated cum laude from Princeton University in 1985 with a major in sociology and a minor in African American studies. Her undergraduate honors thesis was entitled Princeton-Educated Blacks and the Black Community.

Three years later, she was awarded her Juris Doctor (J.D. degree) from Harvard University Law School.